Study of the Effect of Mould Sand Properties Variation on the Severity of Metal Penetration Defect: An Industrial Case Study

The control of the mould sand and its characteristics is essential for optimal economic production and predicting casting defects. Properties of the sand, such as compression strength, compactibility, and permeability, are closely related to input parameters such as water and clay content, making the relationship between these parameters and casting properties complex. An industrial case study on the metal penetration defect was conducted to determine the optimal mold compactibility as a function of the severity of the defect. The results showed that high active clay content can result in severe metal penetration defects, and acceptable values for mold compactibility range between 36% and 40%. A diagram, thus, has been elaborated that defines the area of use of the foundry sand as well as the corrective actions in terms of input parameters (clay and water) which can help modern foundries control raw material input in order to obtain the desired characteristics.